Rösti

Step 1: Put 2 ¼ lb waxy potatoes, unpeeled, in a pan of cold water, bring to the boil over a high heat and boil for 12–15 minutes, until a knife meets firm resistance in the middle. They should be only half cooked.

Step 2: Drain and cool, then refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight. Grating warm potato is the most common mistake: it turns to mush and the rösti falls apart.

Step 3: Peel the cold potatoes with your fingers or a knife and grate them on the coarse side of a box grater. Toss gently with 1 tsp salt and ¼ tsp black pepper; don't squeeze or pack them.

Step 4: Heat 1 tbsp sunflower oil and two-thirds of 1 ¾ oz butter in a 24–26 cm heavy frying pan over a medium heat until the butter foams and smells nutty.

Step 5: Add the potato, spread it out and toss for 2–3 minutes to coat the strands in butter. Then press it into a flat, even cake with a spatula and tidy the edges into a round.

Step 6: Cook over a medium-low heat for 15 minutes without stirring. You should hear a gentle sizzle the whole time. Shake the pan now and then; when the cake slides freely and the edge shows deep gold, it is ready to turn.

Step 7: Slide the rösti onto a plate, put the frying pan upside down over it and flip it back in. Dot the rest of 1 ¾ oz butter round the edge so it runs underneath.

Step 8: Cook the second side for 12–15 minutes over a medium-low heat, until golden and crisp. Slide onto a warm plate, top with 4 eggs if using, and cut into wedges.